My first dentist (who was my parents' dentist) didn't believe in locals.

Oh dear god. I knew someone who grew up getting reduced-price dental care, and the dentist refused to use locals unless you paid full price (even if you could pay extra for the anesthetic - presumably, he thought poor people deserved to suffer for being poor). That always made me cringe. But to have a dentist who just renounced all locals: OMG scary. (This, of course, makes me think of that hysterical bit from the movie Little Shop of Horrors - the musical. My dentist from when I was growing up said of that part, "I think it set the whole profession back ten years. [thoughtful pause] It was worth it, though.")

*kicks your old dentist on the shins*

OTOH I am really really afraid of eye doctors

I'm not, but I can see why you would be. I tend to convulse violently when someone else puts drops in my eyes, and I really hate the eye pressure test.

It's the same kind of thing, I think: someone messing around with your face. Eeek!